By Douglas Belkin. A generation of young Americans is bearing the brunt of decades of runaway college costs. Graduates are entering the workforce with staggering student loans that are inhibiting their ability to buy homes, cars and start families. Massive open online courses—or MOOCs—hold the promise of bending that cost curve down. The genius of MOOCs is that they can reach millions of students. Their Achilles' heel, if they have one, is that they are impersonal.
With the growing pressure to lower the cost of higher education, we asked three experts to weigh in on the role MOOCs could play in the future of higher education, and how MOOCs might change the way we think about college. More...
Degree rise at N.S. universities tied to overseas students
By Davene Jeffrey. It’s no surprise that the number of degrees granted by Nova Scotia universities is on the rise, thanks to an influx of international students, says a Cape Breton University vice-president.
The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission announced Monday that universities in the region granted over 15,000 degrees, diplomas and certificates in 2012, stopping a downward trend. The report said the number of credentials granted had been decreasing from a peak achieved five years ago. More...


